R. Mehdiyev, F. Huseynov, A. Hajiyev. Main Medical Department of Ministry of Justice, Baku, Azerbaijan.
Setting: Specialized Treatment Institution, Ministry of Justice, Azerbaijan.
Objective: To evaluate smear and culture conversion of DR-ТВ patients integrated in treatment with 2nd line anti-tuberculosis drugs.
Methods: DOTS-plus treatment in Azerbaijani prisons has started in 2007 within the framework of GFATM Grant agreement. Sputum smear, culture, DST and radiological examinations were performed on all patients according to treatment protocols.
Results: From April 2007 to February 2009, 120 MDR-TB patients in Azerbaijani prisons have been integrated to the DOTS-Plus treatment with the 2nd line anti-ТВ drugs. 87 patients out of them (72.5%) had ТВ in both lungs, 33 patients (27.5%) had ТВ in one lung. Seven patients (6%) had infiltrative, 113 (94%) had cavitary ТВ. Interim outcomes of first 66 patients are shown in the Table.
Conclusion: Sufficient efforts should be put to achieve sputum conversion during the first 6 months of treatment as the rate of conversion improves mostly by that time. These outcomes need a longterm follow up.
|
6 months
of treatment
|
9 months
of treatment
|
12 months
of treatment
|
Total # of patients at
|
85
|
82
|
66
|
Sputum smear conversion
|
66 (78%)
|
63 (77%)
|
50 (76%)
|
Culture conversion
|
62 (73%)
|
61 (74%)
|
4.9 (74%)
|
X-ray results improvement
|
58 (68%)
|
57 (69%)
|
46 (6980%)
|